Weight release mechanisms



March 22, 1960 A. BERMAN EI'AL 2,929,324

WEIGHT RELEASE MECHANISMS Filed Dec. 10, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 [A/l/E/VTOES. A e/v B52 70 HENRY c. 1550K qmsm/vo Z [MPEf/Y T0 March 22, 1960 A. BERMAN ETAL 2,929,324

WEIGHT RELEASE MECHANISMS Filed Dec. 10, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 IA/ VEA/TOPS. J8 Hum BER/mew HEN/P7 6. .Bscx BY 6057mm .1 [M m/270 WEIGHT RELEASE MECHANISMS Alan Berman, Dobbs Ferry, Henry C. Beck, Ossining, and Gaetano J. Imperato, Elmsford, N.Y., assignors, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application December 10, 1956,-,Serial No. 627,516 2 Claims. (Cl. 102-13) This invention relates to improvements in weight release mechanisms, and more particularly pertains to improvements in anchor weight release mechanisms that are adapted to be actuated remotely and automatically.

7 In the uses of buoyant equipment anchored on the ocean bottom or maintainedat a considerable depth below the surface of the ocean for divers purposes, it isdesirable to provide weight release mechanism that can be actuated under predetermined conditions, or after the elapse of a predetermined interval of time, such actuation separating the anchor or weight from the buoyant equipment and permitting such buoyant equipment to rise to the surface and thereby be retrieved facilely. The subject mechanism accomplishes these functions, being adapted to release an anchor or weight remotely 'at a preset time up to the order of two weeks in'duration without the impractical requirement of external control wires,

. and with external hydraulic pressure environments of over 6,000 p.s.i. This is accomplished by plunger operation of an anchor arm adapted to shear a pin linking the anchor or Weight to the buoyant equipment, valve means United ms Patliil'ft tainer having a peripheral base flange 13, the base face -15 of the said case being open to permit seating of a plurality of batteries 17 in said case. Eyebolt 19 is fastened to the top of said case by means of a plurality of bolts 21. 2

Clock, piston and solenoid housing 23 is secured to battery case 11 by means of a plurality of bolts 25 that are threaded into the top face of said housing through bores in the base flange 13, to retain batteries 17 in the case 11. An annular recess 27 in the bottom face of case 11 seats an O ring 29 adapted to provide a fluid-tight seal between case .11 and housing 23. The housing 23 comprises, generally, a clock chamber 31, a rotary solenoid chamber 33, and a piston chamber 35.

Bottom plate 37 is secured to housing'23 by means of a plurality of bolts 39 that are threaded into the bottom face of said housing through bores in the plate 37.

A first annular recess in the upper face of plate 37 seats an 0 ring 39 adapted'to provide a fluid-tight-seal between housing 23 and plate 37 radially outward of clock chamber 31; a second annular recess in the upper face of plate 37 seats an 0 ring 41 adapted to provide a fluidtight seal between housing 23 and plate 37 radially outward of solenoid chamber 33; and a third annular recess in the upper face of plate 37 seats an O ring 43 adapted to provide a fluid-tight seal between housing 23 and plate 37 radially outward. of piston chamber 35.

Alfixed to the nether face of bottom plate 37 is an anchor hanger 45, which is aligned axially with piston chamber to provide a chamber for the piston plunger head 47 hereinafter described. A shearing pin 49 transverses hanger 45, being secured therein by cotter pin 51,

and an anchor arm 53 is carried dependingly by said actuated by clock mechanism permitting the. ambient Other objects and-many of thefattendant advantages,

of this invention willbe readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation ofan anchor trip mechanism assembly, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention; 1 a

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof taken opposite the side shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a' section takenon the line 66 of Fig. 1;

and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view takenon the line 7-7 of Fig. 2. 1

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. I

The anchor release mechanism comprises three principal sections: first, a battery case provided with a suspensioneye; second, a block containing the clock mechanism, needle valve, piston and solenoid; and third, a bottom plate having its seals, linkage, catch, mechanism and shear pin. Each principal section is hereafter described in detail.

Battery case 11 comprises a generally rectangular conshearing pin '49. Also afiixed to the nether face of bottom plate 37 is a peep hole cover 55. The cover 55 is secured to plate 37 by means of a plurality of screws 57,

and an O ring 59 carried in said cover 55 provides a fluid-tightseal between said cover and plate 37 around a bore 61 in plate 37, .said bore 61 being aligned axially with clock chamber 31. r

Clock mounting bracket 63 secures a clock which drives a cam by means of a coupling gear train, the cam having a detent adapted to actuate a micro-switch. The clock, geartrain, cam and micro-switch are carried in clock chamber 31, and are shown schematically as unit'65, the elements thereof being so arranged that the clock can be set by removing cover 55 and inserting a clock-Winding wrench into the ,clock through bore 61,.

Piston '67 reciprocates in piston chamber 35, and is threadedto plunger head 47. An 0 ring 69 and a backup ring 71, and an 0 ring 73 and a back-up ring 75, are providedfor. said piston to assure fluid seal. Above the head of said piston, communicating bore 77 is cut through housing 23 laterally to permit the fluid under pressure, the fluid in which the device is immersed, to exert thrust on the piston, as hereinafter described.

Access of fluid under pressure to the piston 67 through the bore 77 is controlled by the valve means shown in Fig. 6. Valve seat 79 is aflixed to housing 23 over bore 77, at a recess 81 in the side wall of said housing, with O ring 83 providing a fluid-tight seal between said valve seat and said housing. Valve 85 is positioned to close 97 and dowel pin 99, as shown in Fig. 6. Rocker arm- 101 is secured at one end to valve 85 to unseat said valve, as hereinafter described. 7

The solenoid chamber 33 is shown more particularly in Patented Mar. 22, 1960 the solenoid compartment.

Figs. 4'and 5. Solenoid mounting bracket103 and mount ing base 105 are secured in chamber 33 by means of screws 107 and 109, as shown, and mountrotary solenoid 111. -Spark plug type insulated feed through seals are used for the spark plug" conductors'113 used to connect the wirestnot shown) leading from the battery compartment to the solenoid 111, which is adapted to rotate when energized by batteries 17, the circuit being closed by the micro-switch hereinbefore described. (The conductors of the micro-switch are brought up into the battery housing through bore 115 in housing 23. The switch, batteries and solenoid are in series, the conductors therebetween not being sho'wn.) The rotary solenoid chamber or compartment is filled with oil, and the pressure thereof equalized with the ambient pressure through a Bellofram seal: A Bellofram shield 117 having a port 1 19 is secured over Bellofram seal 121 by meansof screws 123, the port 125 providing communication between the chamber defined by the seal and the main chamber of Seal screw 127 can be removed to fill the chamber with oil.

The linkage between solenoid 111 and valve 85, which linkage includes the rocker arm 101, is actuated by 25 rotation of the solenoid: The linkage comprises an extension shaft 129 secured to solenoid 111 and extending through bottom plate 37. Crank arm 131 is pinned to shaft 129 by set screw 133, and said arm 131 carries a crank pin 135. Crank spacer 137 and lever arm 139 are held on pin 135 by retaining ring 141. Rocker arm pin 143 and lever pin 145, with rocker arm 101, complete the linkage.

A catch to hold the rocker arm in open position :is provided. This catch comprises a catch bracket 147, a "catch pin 149 reciprocable in said bracket, a spring 151 and spring retainer and retaining'ring 153 carried on said .pirl between the arms of said bracket.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention described above, the spring wound clock mechanism is geared down and the graduated cam and microswitch are mounted on the clock. This clock mounted in the block can .be. wound and the cam set for the required time when the block 23 is disconnected from the battery box 13 and the peephole cover 55 is removed. Access to the clock is preferably by means of a clock setting and winding wrench inserted through the bore 61.

The cam rotates and causes the micro-switch to complete a circuit between two dry cell batteries 17in series located in the battery box or case 13 'andthe rotary solenoid 111. The rotary solenoid compartment is 'oil filled and'the pressure equalized with "the ambient pressure through the means of the Bell'ofram seal, thereby eliminating the thrust andfriction problem that would be inherent if there is a'pressure unbalance where the solenoid 'sha'ft passes through the bottom plate '37. Sparkfplhg type insulated feed-through seals are used to connect the wires leading from the battery compartment to the solenoid. Said solenoid drives shaft 129, which rotates 25, and this motion is transmitted by means of a crank arm and linkage to a rocker arm, which lifts a pilot valve 1 against the external pressure. A catch holds this arm in the open position.

The pilot valve is spring loaded and fits into the valve seat. When the valve is lifted, the sea water surrounding the unit enters the cylinder through port 77 and forces the piston 67 down. The plunger head pushes the anchor arm, which double shears the pin 49. Positive action is assured: for example, at 6,000 p.s.i. external pressure, about 7,000 pounds is available for shearing, while a suit able load-retaining pin shears at a load of the order of 2,000 pounds.

Preferably, 0 rings are used throughout as seals and back-up rings are employed in moving seals where there is a pressure diiferential. Stainless steel is preferred for hardware components and for components that come into contact with seat water.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

We claim:

1. Weight release mechanism for use in a fluid medium comprising a housing, a shear pin carried by said housing and adapted to couple a buoyant weight thereto, a piston mounted in a piston chamber in said housing and adapted to shear said pin, valve means to seal said chamber against access by such fluid, and valve release means to admit such .fluid to said chamber to actuate said piston, said valve release means comprising a solenoid and a battery carried in said housing, a switch in series with said solenoid and battery, clock means coupled to said switch through a gear train and cam to close said switch after a preset time interval, and a linkage driven by said solenoid and driving said valve means.

:2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said solenoid is carried in a chamber in said housing, said chamber including seal means to equalize the pressure in said 'chamberwith ambient pressure.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS v Carteron Sept. 24, 1912 

